At its June meeting, the Purdy school board passed its budget for the 2025-2026 school year, calling for a $38,000 base pay for teachers, and placing a moratorium on capital improvements for a year.

Purdy’s base pay for new teachers stayed the same as this past year. Superintendent Travis Graham noted that the base pay was $31,250 when he arrived for the 2022-2023 year, and the board raised it immediately to $33,250. He hoped the district could boost the base to $40,000 next year, meeting the Missouri General Assembly’s mandate without having to rely on the Teacher Baseline Salary Grant Fund, available this year with no guarantees beyond that. Boosting salaries to $40,000 would have cost the district an additional $120,000.

Board members agreed to boost the salary schedule steps, rewarding years of service and additional education. A second- year teacher would receive pay of $38,250. Steps added boosts from $350 to $450. The top pay for a teacher in Purdy would be $60,350 for one with a doctorate and 35 years of experience, a step added two years ago.

Under the present formula, a firstyear teacher would first qualify for more than the new state minimum, receiving $41,500, if coming to the district with a Master’s degree. Without the higher degree, a teacher would hit $40,000 in the third year at Purdy, coming in with at least 24 years of teaching experience.

Salary benefits did not increase for the coming year. Graham said the board- kept paid health insurance at $550 a month. One plan available is covered fully by the district. The board covers 95 percent of an optional plan where employees pay an additional $30 a month. The district also covers 14.5 percent of the Public School Retirement System payment, also unchanged.

As for building improvements, Graham said the district is presently paying down lease purchases for school buses and the storm shelter/performing arts center. During the coming year, assessments of other needs will provide direction. He noted the board is aware of the pending need to replace roofs and rooftop heating and air conditioning units. The district has $80,000 in its maintenance and repair fund, which Graham said would cover one rooftop unit if it failed.

He envisioned staff levels staying the same for the coming year. Some smaller classes could expand without increasing teachers. Plans are in place to add two more paraprofessionals, balancing out the numbers with those leaving.

One planned expense will cover upgrading 50 desktop computers.

“We really cut a lot of operating costs in order to focus on teacher salaries and utilize this year to plan for the long-term,” he said.

The State Adequacy Target for the coming year has the state paying Purdy $6,760 per student, the same as the past year.

In policy changes, Board members agreed to change the district’s cell phone policy in line with Senate Bill 68, which mandated the district have a cell phone policy. Graham said the board chose to ban the use of cell phones during the school day, from beginning to end, including at lunch or passing between classes.

“The important thing to me is this is not a school-implemented policy,” he said. “This is a state policy. We want to work in partnership with parents. This is about teaching good digital citizenship, covering cyberbullying, criminal, academic, and academic honesty. A lot of good discussion has come from it. There’s power in the tongue, to give life or take life, or give hope. Pictures sent can be good or destructive. We want to help students and parents learn how to be good citizens.”

Handbooks for faculty and staff had minimal changes for the coming year, other than new dates.

The new version included the Family Medical Leave Act.

In other business, the board approved sending 37 students to the Scott Regional Technology Center in Monett, studying 11 different subjects. Graham said that was less than what the board budgeted. Tuition for Scott Tech stayed the same for the year. The board renewed its agreement to continue in the Regional Behavior Center at Monett, managing autistic students. Purdy plans to send one student there next year.

Board members agreed to accept one student into the district next year and waive out-ofdistrict tuition fees. They also approved moving the maximum 7 percent of funds allowed by state law into the district’s capital improvements Fund 4, with the amount determined by the state and the annual district audit.

A retirement letter was accepted from Robert Balmas, who has served as a bus driver for 40 years.

The board will not meet in July. A schedule of meetings for the coming school year was adopted, calling for the next session on Aug. 21 and generally keeping to a third-Thursday routine. No meeting was planned for December.

Reports

Graham told the board about remodeling on the school nurse’s station, funded by the Care To Learn program. They were installing a shower in case a student needed emergency help or came to school in poor condition. The district had been using facilities east of town at the Arnhart Baptist Church in such cases. Care to Learn was also adding a combo washer and drier in case a student needed to have clothes cleaned.

He discussed plans to add crushed rock to the faculty elementary parking lot that is prone to becoming a “mud fest.” Summer work will also involve a team of volunteers installing 12 more play structures in the upper elementary playground by the FEMA shelter.

A tree had fallen on fencing around the playground. Graham said Carnahan and White were replacing the fence. A skid steer had been used to fill and pack the remaining hole from the tree.

Amy Harkey, the family and consumer science teacher, told board members she has interest among students in forming a competitive barbecue club, part of a national program with very few participating schools in Missouri. The board asked her to calculate costs for needed equipment. Entry fees in competitions would cover the meat. Harkey said parents would be notified they would have to help teach interested students how to tackle the cooking.